The Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, in cooperation with the Mar-Mac Police Department, continues to investigate a report of stolen firearms from the Mar-Mac Police Department in February.

According to a statement from the sheriff’s office in March, the investigation began with a request from Mar-Mac Police Chief Jason Bogdonovich following the discovery of missing items.

Between Feb. 8 and Feb. 17, an undisclosed number of firearms were reportedly stolen from the Marquette city garage, which is attached to the police department, while renovations were being made to the police department.

The Driftless Area Wetlands Centre in Marquette held a monarch butterfly release party Saturday afternoon, with participants tagging and releasing several monarchs reared there over the last few weeks. Some butterflies caught in the wild that day were tagged and released, as well. (Photos by Audrey Posten)

Tagging involves placing a small sticker on each butterfly’s hind wing. Each tag contains an identification number along with a phone number to call when the butterfly and tag are found. Monarch tagging is done now, as it is the peak time for monarchs to begin their migration to Mexico.

Jim Langhus shows the difference between a male (left) and female monarch butterfly. The males have noticeably thinner veins, as well as black spots on their hind wings.

Wetlands Centre Director Alicia Mullarkey shows off one of the monarch butterflies reared at the Wetlands Centre and later tagged and released.

By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor

The Driftless Area Wetlands Centre in Marquette held a monarch butterfly release party Saturday afternoon, with participants tagging and releasing several monarchs reared there over the last few weeks. Some butterflies caught in the wild that day were tagged and released, as well.

“This has been our first adventure in tagging,” said Wetlands Centre Director Alicia Mullarkey.

Tagging involves placing a small sticker on each butterfly’s hind wing. Each tag contains an identification number along with a phone number to call when the butterfly and tag are found. It does not hinder the monarch’s movement.

MFL MarMac High School students work through a broadcast script for a video that will go on the new student news site, The Bulldog Growl. The website will also feature stories written by students about a variety of school-related topics. Beginning next week, their work will be shared monthly in the North Iowa Times. (Photo by Audrey Posten)

By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor

A new English class offered at MFL MarMac High School is allowing students to become journalists by sharing their voices online, through a news website they’ve named The Bulldog Growl. Beginning next week, students’ work will also be shared monthly in the North Iowa Times.

Students will tackle a variety of school-related topics—everything from new staff and school rules to ACT testing and the latest Bulldog sports action.

The website, bulldoggrowl.com, will be updated regularly with the students’ articles. It will also feature student video broadcast packages, in addition to polls and recent sports scores.

Monona residents will see a familiar face in the mayor’s seat at the next council meeting: Fran Passmore. Passmore served as the city’s mayor for six years prior to the most recent mayor, Barb Collins, who took over in 2014.

Collins resigned as mayor late last month in order to become the city’s deputy clerk, replacing the retiring Linda Gullickson.

Passmore will finish out the remainder of the two-year term, through the end of 2017.

On Saturday, Sept. 24, at 9 a.m., at Old Man River in downtown McGregor, an informative and enlightening event will explore the history of McGregor’s opera houses, successfully completed projects in other cities and the benefits of historic preservation in the community. The event will raise awareness for community efforts to restore McGregor’s Sullivan Opera House (pictured).

Preservation promotes respect for those who came before us, and those who will come after. Preservation encourages citizen activity to become involved and fulfill their right and responsibility to create their community’s future. On Saturday, Sept. 24, at 9 a.m., at Old Man River in downtown McGregor, an informative and enlightening event will explore the history of McGregor’s opera houses, successfully completed projects in other cities and the benefits of historic preservation in the community.

Special guest and author, professor Richard Poole, will present “Tent Repertoire, Circle Stock, Airdomes and Opera Houses: Gone but not Forgotten,” an entertaining, illustrated talk detailing the incredible amount of theatre available to small-town Americans between 1870 and 1940.

Author Linda McCann, best known for her “Lost Towns” book series that details communities that disappeared along the Cedar River, spoke at Murphy Helwig Library’s monthly coffee house Sept. 6, sharing about her latest book, “Prohibition in Eastern Iowa.”

McCann told those gathered she didn’t start as a writer, but rather as an RN.

“As my kids got older, I got into genealogy,” she said, noting that, when she and her husband moved to Shell Rock, she discovered she was a descendent of the town’s founder. Sometime over the years, that information had been lost. “I was determined my kids and grandkids would know about it.”

The artesian well, shown in this postcard from April 1915, is a popular piece of McGregor’s history.

This early “mail card” depicts the Marquette (North McGregor) pontoon bridge. The card was double the width of a regular postcard, allowing senders to fold it in half and mail it. It’s one of the 700 postcards in Brian Hedeman’s collection, which he showcases on several Facebook pages.

Sending current, future generations on historical journey

By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor

We’ve all heard the line, “If you put it on the Internet, it’ll be around forever.” Brian Hedeman is banking on that.

The 1977 MarMac grad, now a resident of Eagan, Minn., is using the Internet—specifically Facebook—to share his collection of historic McGregor and Marquette postcards with the world.

Father and son Gary (right) and Tony Brooks were both awarded Quilts of Valor over the weekend. Following the presentation, they were joined by family members, including (left to right) Kim, Lili and Ryne Brooks, Joanne Brooks and Bobbi Jo, Scott and Ellie Gillitzer. (Photo by Audrey Posten)

By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor

The number of Quilts of Valor awarded to service members and veterans touched by war grew by two, to over 144,000, over the weekend, when father and son Gary and Tony Brooks received quilts.

The quilts were awarded at the Brooks family reunion, held in McGregor’s Turner Park, by Lanny and Wendy Kuhse, of Garnavillo. Gary and Tony were nominated by Gary’s sister, Cheri Leachman, a veteran herself.